Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga added another feather in his cap as he became only the second bowler to grab a hat-trick in both ODIs and T20 internationals.Malinga achieved the milestone during the second T20 international against Bangladesh in Colombo.
“Hmmm…Is it four or five? It is five,” said Malinga, who has arrived in Mumbai for the IPL season.
“I have a double hat-trick against South Africa, and one hat-trick each against Australia, Kenya and Bangladesh. So my tally is five, one more than Wasim Akram,” he said.
Slinga Malinga’s effort was also only the fifth time a hat-trick has been taken in the game’s shortest format on the international stage, joining Brett Lee, Jacob Oram, Tim Southee and Thisara Perera.
One of his finest hat-tricks against South Africa in 2007 World Cup. Chasing Sri Lanka’s 209, the Proteas looked to have the game sealed when they reduced the equation of to five runs needed off 31 balls with five wickets in hand.
He bagged Shaun Pollock’s and Andrew Hall’s wicket back to back.But when Jacques Kallis, on 86, nicked off on the first ball of his following over to complete Malinga’s hat-trick, the Lankans believed a miracle win was on the cards.
Belief turned to delight when Malinga clean bowled Mkayha Ntini the very next ball to make it four scalps in four deliveries. It is a “double” hat-trick considering wickets from the first, second and third balls, and second, third and fourth deliveries, Malinga agreed:
“If so (not two separate hat-tricks) then it is four”.
In 2011, Colombo, World Cup match gainst Kenya felt the full wrath of Malinga’s yorkers with the slinger sending down three successive toe-crushers to complete his second World Cup hat-trick against an African nation.
The right-armer completed a hat-trick of ODI hat-tricks, with this one coming against Australia.
Bangladesh in the second T20 world cup in 2016 too tasted a trio of brilliant reverse-swinging deliveries! poor victims to end fates in death over slower ones were Mushrfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Mortaza and Mehedi Hasan.
How could you choose one of your favourite deliveries? Yes, a tough question for the curly -haired, 33-yr old veteran bowler!
“I don’t rate my hat-tricks. All hat-tricks are special to me. All hat-tricks are important and dear to me. It is the result of my hard work,” he added.
“Yes, I was disappointed when my team could not win the last match against Bangladesh despite my hat-trick. Obviously, the entire team and reserve players were disappointed.”
Just when years were advancing Malinga yet again proved his worth with those deliveries in the ongoing T20 international against Bangladesh.
Bowling the 19th over against Bangladesh, Malinga, on his first delivery, rattled Mushfiqur Rahim’s stumps. On the next delivery, he dislodged Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza’s bails. He trapped Mehedi Hasan Miraz in front of the wicket on his third delivery to complete the hat-trick.
Former Australian bowler Brett Lee was the first to achieve this incredible feat. Lee also achieved the feat against Bangladesh in 2008.Malinga is the fifth bowler and second Sri Lankan, after Thisera Perera, to bag a hat-trick in the shortest format of the game.New Zealand’s Jacob Oram and Tim Southee are the other two bowlers in the list.
Though he missed his first few matches for IPL10 but is heard to join his team Mumbai Indians soon!
Well, fans would never dare to disbelieve the fact that those fingers can do a magic again!